Amber Antymniuk has written and illustrated several picture books: Grandpa’s Garage, Grandma’s Garden, Prairie Seasons, as well as H is for Home: A Saskatchewan Alphabet.
She is releasing her fifth book in May, and I can’t wait to see what it’s about!
It was a delight to exchange emails with Amber, and I am grateful she gave her time to answer some questions. Partly for selfish reasons, because so much of her advice feels relevant to my current creative endeavors. But also because I’m excited to share her work and words.
You can find Amber’s books at her website and follow her on Facebook and Instagram so you don’t miss out on her future book releases.
Question: What was the most difficult part about publishing your book?
Amber: Letting go. Knowing that a person could work on something for years and years and years and still look back and see things that could be changed or done differently. Achieving perfection is an impossible feat as a creative. Getting over that has been very difficult. Getting to a point where you are happy with something, you’ve worked so hard and for so long and now it is time to be vulnerable and share this piece with the world. I never would have gotten to the point of publishing without the support of my partner Mark.
Question: What advice would you give someone who is trying to establish a creative life?
Amber: Go for it. Take risks. Take time to step away from your usual in order to make time for the things you love. Creativity takes loads of energy and this energy is often quite hard to find if you are working full time in a different field. Dive in.
Question: What has the creative process brought to your life, for better or worse?
Amber: Balance. Before having children I was a full time Arts Education teacher. I always knew that becoming a stay at home parent would be important to me. I am so fortunate to be able to spend so much time at home with my family, raising my children, taking care of our home, all while spending bits of time here and there writing, illustrating, and creating. I love this balance. I love being able to travel to communities and schools to share my stories and art with people.
